


Sidetracked

by pettybear



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, EDITH - Freeform, Illusions, M/M, Manipulation, Mental Health Issues, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter is eighteen, Possessive Behavior, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Smut, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-07-08 04:15:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19863322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pettybear/pseuds/pettybear
Summary: With his lifework ridiculed, discredited, and ultimately fired, there was only one person who helped Beck through it all; Peter Parker, the son of Tony stark, the source of his many problems. When the billionare went and died, Beck didn’t only get the perfect opportunity to possess Edith, but also the boy that keeps him awake at night.





	1. Chapter 1

“You called it barf?!” Peter asked, running a hand through his disheveled curls.

“Yeah, I gotta work on that,” Tony mumbled, walking right past the boy to approach the elevator.

“I think that’s an understatement.” Using his enhanced speed, Peter shot forward and effectively blocked his fathers way. This conversation wasn’t over yet. “It’s insulting, and incredibly degrading. How did you think that was okay?”

“Listen kiddo,” Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an ignored attempt to convey his exhaustion. “I get that’s it’s the first project you helped with, but quite frankly, it doesn’t nearly have as much potential as you think it does.”

“But you didn’t even credit-“ Peter started, frustration piling, but was swiftly cut off by Friday’s clean cut voice interrupting to delay a message.

“Mr. Stark, your presence is called for on the seventh floor,” The AI said, much to Tony’s relief.

“There you have it. We’ll talk about this tomorrow, Peter. Don’t stay up too late.” And with that, Tony pushed past his son and entered the elevator, effectively shutting him up by shooting him one last stern look.

How was Peter ever going to face Mr. Beck now? Head hanging low, he decided to take the stairs to the second floor if only to delay the inevitable by a few minutes. It was late in the evening, and the rest of the engineers had already gone home, much to his relief. A figure he recognized as Beck was furiously pacing across the room, fists clenched behind his back in frustration. When the man heard Peter approaching, his head whipped up in expectation.

“Did you talk to him?” Beck asked, shooting forward to grasp ahold of Peter’s shoulders. The desperate sheen in Beck’s eyes made delivering the bad news even worse.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Beck…” Peter mumbled, focusing on his shoes intently.

“Sorry…?” Beck breathed, pastel eyes shining with bitterness. “This is my fucking life’s work!” In one sweeping motion, Beck threw research papers and mechanic parts alike on the floor in fury.

“Sorry,” Peter murmured again, stumbling back in surprise. When Beck noticed him flinching, it took his all to calm down enough to slip his mask back on.

“No, I’m sorry I overreacted, Peter.” Veins still straining against his temple, he shot the younger boy a practiced smile. “I know you can’t control this. You worked hard on it too.” Feigning understanding, Beck eyed Peter with well-hidden contempt. After years of devoted work on a project he believed to be revolutionary, this brat entered the picture just by being Tony’s son. He wasn’t even biological family, for god’s sake! Beck hadn’t minded because, well, he wasn’t blind. The kids a sight for sore eyes. But even he had his limits.

“Yeah,” Peter mumbled. Beck watched some of the tension leave the boys limbs, and had to grind his teeth together to prevent a snarl.

“You’ll try again tomorrow,” Beck decided.

* * *

Turns out, there was no tomorrow for Quentin Beck in Stark industries. The second Peter had left, the unsettling voice of Tony’s AI ordered him for an ‘emergency meeting’.

In Tony Starks large office, the avenger himself was waiting for him, stretched lazily across his swivel chair. The sight made Beck nauseous. Barely looking up from a paper in his hands, Tony regarded Beck with casual disinterest.

“Quentin Beck,” Tony started in that arrogant, smug tune anyone could recognize. “Sources have told me you’re not happy with me.”

Breath in and out, like the therapist suggested.

“With all due respect, Sir-”

“Is it with respect, though?” Tony asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Cause I heard you have a lot to say about me, Quentin.” Finally dropping the paper and lifting his shades, Tony look into the mans eyes with poorly hidden amusement. “I’m all ears.”

“I designed the holographic system, a revolutionary breakthrough with limitless applications. This could change the world, and you used it for therapeutic pursuits?”

“That’s what this is all about?” Stark laughed coldly. “You’re pissed about that?”

“I am meant to change the world with this tech,” Beck stressed, façade slipping ever so slightly. “You don’t understand what this means.”

“Oh, I think I understand this plenty. You have potential, I’ll give you that.” Leaning forward, Tony placed his elbows on his oak desk and made his point clear. “But this? This isn’t worth my time.”

“Then what is worth your time?” Beck rasped out, limbs aching with adrenaline. “Picking up strays? Alcohol?” He knew he was getting out of hand, but at that point it was already irreversible.

“I’m starting to think you hate me, Quentin. Aren’t you a little unstable right now?” Tony remarked, and Beck could feel his sanity _snap._

“YOU CALLED IT BARF!” Beck screamed, marching forward with the deep rooted need to _hurt this asshole,_ but was promptly detained by security. Despite his struggling against the large men dragging him out of the office, Beck could hear the disgust in Tony’s voice loud and clear.

“Don’t think I haven’t seen the way you look at my son, _Beck._ You’re fired.”

* * *

By the time the sun rose, Beck’s house was a mess. Furniture broken in pieces, paintings ripped of the wall and research papers littering the floor reflected his poor state of mind. He was fired, stripped away from his right to become the recognized inventor he was destinated to become. And if that wasn’t enough, his teammates chose Tony Stark, instead of their friend. His wife had left him nine months ago, saying he was too focused on his work. And now, Quentin Beck was all alone. It was just him and the irrational feeling of revenge eating away at him.

A hesitant, quiet knock temporarily shook him out of his stupefied rage, and much to his surprise it wasn’t a colleague of him in his hallway. It was Peter Parker.

“I heard about what happened, and I was wo- Oh my God,” Peter gasped, his voice even higher than normal. “Are you all right?”

It was a stupid, stupid question. He hated the kid for even asking it. Instead of answering, he just dropped to the ground and tangled his finger in his hair. He was vaguely aware of how absolutely insane he must have looked, with his half buttoned up shirt littered with stains and surrounded by the stench of alcohol, but couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Just fucking leave,” he said, and it felt like the last of his energy collapsed with him.

When he woke up, his head was pounding. He shot up from his plush twin bed, and leaped over the side to vomit on the ground.

“Oh… That’s disgusting, no offense,” Peter’s squeaky, innocent voice said somewhere to his right. He dropped back on the bed with pure exhaustion, trying to tune out the never stopping yapping. He opened his eyes when a small hand pushed his sweat soaked bangs from his eyes, and saw the youthful face inspecting him with worry.

The second time he woke up, the world was a little less cloudy. The vomit he clearly remembered hurling out was cleaned up, and from where he laid he could see most of the mess he’d made was gone. When he sat up, a cool washcloth slipped from his forehead. He looked around his house, but Peter wasn’t there anymore. Only a note that read “I made soup- Peter Parker” and a bowl of chicken soup. It tasted disgusting.

And just like that, life continued for Beck, no matter how much he willed it to freeze. He’d fallen into an easy routine for the past two months. He’d wake up, eat breakfast, watch Tony Stark on the news, and then fell asleep. It was a mind wrecking habit, one he was sure would turn him crazy in the end. And it would have, had it not been for Peter visiting him every few days.

At first, it frustrated him to no end. But he tolerated it, because it was the last connection he had to the future he’d always envisioned for himself. But with time, things started to change. Peter went from something pathetic, to merely annoying, and ended up as appreciated.

Despite his hesitance to admit it, Beck knew Peter saved his life. The young boy picked up his pieces, and earnestly did his best to glue them back together. And he started to love the teenager for it. It was pathetic, a grown man dependent solely on a kid. But he couldn’t help feelings, could he? Before, Peter was just pretty. Now, he was beautiful.

What Peter didn’t know, was that he wasn’t fixable. His hate for Stark was a festering wound, one that only intensified when Peter stopped coming by. He knew it wasn’t chosen, Peter was simply too good for that. Too gullible to see the hungry look Beck had when he looked at him. But Tony had seen it, and did something about it.

But it hardly mattered. Now that he’d been picked up, Beck found it in himself to start over again. He found a new job, made some friends and dived right back into life. He had a goal to complete, after all. He wanted Tony stark destroyed, preferably dead.

And Peter may have forgotten about him, but he never forgot about Peter. He wanted to both love and break the boy. He wanted to keep him locked inside until the only thing he could see was Beck. He wanted to make the kid watch as he killed his “father”, and see that limitless adoration evaporate into thin air. And he prepared for just that. He gathered allies, and perfected his tech.

Tony dying was a setback for sure. Even in death, the man was insufferable. But he also left an empty spot, in both the world and in Peter. One that he was determined to fill.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter had spent full-on days wondering how he’d ever be able to repay Tony for everything the man had done for him. Now, he spent his nights knowing that chance would never come.

“Peter, is that you?” his aunt asked when she heard him rummaging through his closet. It was about five in the morning, and despite his inability to physically keep his eyes open longer than thirty seconds, he knew sleep wasn’t embracing him for another sixteen hours. 

“Yeah, can’t sleep,” he responded, throwing his suit back in the corner where he’d stashed It before.

May was already up and about, tying her hair up while simultaneously burning their breakfast. The smile she shot him was so genuine, he couldn’t help returning it in earnest. But like every morning, It faltered ever so slightly when she took notice of the ever darkening circles under his eyes.

“Peter…” she started, and he already knew what was coming. “Are you sure you’re up to the school trip? If you need… time, we all understand.”

“What? No way, it’s gonna be great. I got this,” he assured her. The last thing he needed was being granted more time to brood alone in his room, replaying the events that haunted him.

“All right, just promise me you’ll take care of yourself, yeah?” Although he appreciated his aunt worrying for him, it felt a little… constricting. People treated him as if he could crumble any second. And if he were to be honest with himself, that could be true. But right now, all he wanted to do was move on, even if he knew that was impossible for the time being.

The rest of the morning went by in a flash. He and May had an easy, aimless conversation, his favorite kind. Packing for the trip was more complicated than he thought. How many clean pair of socks did he _really_ need?

“You hungry?” May asked, and before could he answer a banana hit him straight in the face.

“Oh, sorry!” May laughed, lifting her hand to her mouth to hide the giggle bubbling up. “I thought you could sense that, with your… Peter tingle!”

Yeah, what was up with that? He’d had worse things thrown at him, but never really got hit by them.

“I guess it’s not working,” he mumbled, picking the banana up. “And please, don’t start calling it my Peter tingle.”

Their conversation got interrupted when the bell rang through the apartment. Swinging open the front door, he was surprised to see Happy Hogan impatiently tapping his foot.

“Good, you’re still here,” Happy nodded, pushing past him to enter the apartment.

“Hey, Happy…” he smiled. By this point, he was pretty much used to the stoic man’s dismissive demeanor. At first, it intimidated him, but he learned to appreciate it in the long term.

“Oh, hi,” his aunt greeted, stepping into the living room to take a look at who’s there. “You look great.”

“Thanks, you too,” Happy said, giving her a rare smile. “New haircut?”

“Yeah, it got a little long,” May said, shyly brushing a long strand of brown hair behind her ear. “New beard?”

“That’s, uh, my blip beard. Cause it grew… in the blip… My blip beard, yeah.”

“Oh, I see,” May giggled, and wow, was he even still there?

“…What’s going on?” Peter asked, and they looked at him like they had forgotten he even existed. 

“Can we talk in private?” Happy asked awkwardly, grabbing him by the shoulder and gently steering him in the direction of his bedroom. When the door shut, he focused on Peter with a more serious look in his eyes.

“I came to give you something,” he said, digging in his suit jacket. He pulled out a small, black box.

“What’s this?” Peter asked, opening it up to see a pair of familiar glasses with a note.

“Tony- your father wanted you to have this,” Happy said and _oh, his heart hurt._

He remembered the sun glasses, he was the one who helped pick their design when Tony said he was working on a new project.

“He wanted me to have them?” Peter frowned, closing the case like it was a time bomb.

“Yeah. Why don’t you try them on? I think they’d look good on you,” Happy encouraged him, but Peter only shook his head.

“…Maybe later.” He didn’t understand why Tony entrusted these with him. He didn’t know the details, but he remembered they obviously weren’t just a style accessory.

“Well, it’s your choice, I guess,” Happy said, and Peter appreciated the understanding. “Oh and heads up, Fury’s gonna call you.”

“Wait, what?” Peter’s voice shot a few octaves higher. “I don’t want to talk to Nick Fury!”

“You better talk to him, cause if you don’t do it then I gotta. He scares me Peter,” Happy argued. Before Happy could continue, May’s voice saved him.

“Hey, Peter? Ned’s here!” Shooting Happy a look that didn’t quite conceal the pain in his eyes, he excused himself and moved back to the living room to see his best friend chatting with May.

“Hey dude!” Ned grinned at him, wearing his usual bold hat. “You ready for the trip?”

“You bet,” Peter smiled, initiating their special handshake. Looking at his watch, it signaled it was high time for them to leave.

“Stay safe, Peter,” May smiled, hugging him tightly. When they pulled beck, she entrusted him his stuff. They weight of Ben’s suitcase felt both heavy and comforting in his hands.

“Yeah, you too. Don’t burn the house down,” he grinned, kissing her on the cheek one last time before grabbing his shoes.

“I’ll take care of her,” Happy said, suddenly standing behind his aunt. Suspicious.

After they said their goodbyes, Peter entered Ned’s moms car and they drove toward the airport where their class was supposed to meet up.

“What’s up, dorks?” MJ smiled in the way that used to make his heart flutter. He still liked MJ, but fighting an alien in space somehow made all of his emotions seem more… insignificant. Faded. But despite the dwindling of his romantic feelings for her, Peter cared about her and Ned more than he could put into words. Friends weren’t something freely given to him, and he made sure to appreciate the few he had. 

Upon hearing his name, the entire class turned around and he was met with their pitying eyes and soft whispers. Everyone knew he and Tony were father and son, being a family with Iron man was an impossible secret to keep. Flash wasn’t an exception.

“Hey, Parker,” Flash greeted, the usual teasing edge in his voice vacant. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine Flash.”

Ignoring their intrusive eyes, he followed the instructions and stepped on the plane. He went and tried to sit next to Ned, but Mr. Harrington stopped him and took him aside. Shooting an uncertain look at MJ and Ned who were watching closely, he shrugged and followed the man.

“Peter, I heard about your… problems… and I’d just like to say it’s completely fine, you don’t have to be embarrassed about it,” Mr. Harrington assured him, confusing Peter to the brim.

“What do you mean…?” he asked, cocking his head in surprise.

Mr. Harrington shifted a little closer and said in a hushed voice; “Brad told me about your fear of flights, and assured me you’re welcome to sit next to him. He has experience with this kind of thing, considering his mom being a therapist and all.”

Peter glanced over the boy in question, who shot him a bright smile. “I don’t have a fear of-“

“Don’t be silly, we’re all here for each other!” Mr. Harrington said, already grabbing Peter’s bags. “Betty, why don’t you take a seat next to Ned?” Mouthing a confused sorry at Ned, he hesitantly sat next to the taller boy.

“Hey,’ Brad greeted him casually, like this wasn’t staged in any way.

“Uh, hey… Why’d you tell Mr. Harrington I’m afraid of flights?” Peter asked.

“I wanted to get to know you better. I remember you. From before, I mean. You used to tutor me,” Brad explained.

“Oh, yeah,” Peter nodded, remembering. “Math, right? Man you changed. You could’ve just asked, though.”

“Sorry, sorry, it just seemed like the most effective way,” Brad laughed, and honestly Peter was a bit weirded out. He didn’t miss the way Brad looked him, eyes flirty. And sure, he was also into guys, he just wasn’t into Brad Davis. He’d been a kid the last time Peter saw him, and that image was kinda hard to shake off.

“Wanna watch a movie together?” Brad asked, offering him a pair of earbuds he hesitantly accepted.

“Yeah sure,” he mumbled, but already lost interest in the movie after five minutes. He closed his eyes, and tried not to let his mind wander. It did anyway and wandered, unsurprisingly, right to Tony Stark again.

They’d met when Peter was just a traumatized, lonely thirteen year old. Ben had just been shot, and his and May’s lives were wrecked in the process. Unsurprisingly, May had a full on breakdown at the time, and with no other living relatives he was forced into a group home.

Insert a billionaire visiting said group home as a charity stunt, and his life changed forever. Even at the young age Peter was at, Tony had seen real potential in him. He offered the kid to come by the Stark tower in a flurry of goodwill, and probably regretted it right after, because lonely little Peter held him to that promise.

Despite Tony’s lack of time and Peter’s young age, they shared a real connection that only grew. Then, he got bitten by a radioactive spider, and Tony was the only one who he could tell. He helped Peter train and grow, and eventually, showed him adoption papers on his fifteenth birthday. Peter cried so hard that day, Tony almost thought he didn’t want it.

And that’s how Peter gained another father. He started to live in Stark tower, and visited May on the weekends. Until the snap, that is.

“Peter? Peter, wake up!” a voice next to him called, causing him to shoot up in alarm. Whipping his head up, he looked around only to see it was just Brad’s hand on his bicep. Letting go of the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding up, Peter sighed and dropped back in his seat.

“Sorry,” he laughed awkwardly upon noticing Brad’s alarmed expression. “Man, did I sleep for that long?”

“Yeah, you were really out if it,” Brad said, relaxing.

They grabbed their stuff and followed Mr. Harrington into the illuminating streets of Venice, and Peter couldn’t help but admire the beautiful buildings and clear sky. He was so, so ready for a break, and this trip was the perfect chance to get one.

Their first stop was the hotel they’d be staying in, which turned out to be a crappy excuse of a crumbling building.

“Watch your feet!” Mr. Harrington said, already falling victim to the water problem the staff warned them about. He and Ned settled in a room together, and had about half an hour to put their stuff away before they were off to explore.

“Dude, can you believe we’re in Europe!” Ned cheered, claiming the bed to the far right.

Opening his suitcase, he silently cursed May when he noticed his spider-man suit he tried to leave back at home. Europe didn’t need a friendly neighborhood spider-man, and so, he stashed the brightly colored fabric to the bottom.

“Dude, who keeps texting you?” he asked when Ned’s phone buzzed for the twentieth time in fifteen minutes.

“That’s just my girlfriend, Betty,” Ned said casually, and went right back to unpacking like he didn’t just drop a massive bomb out of nowhere.

“Betty Brant?” he asked, disbelief evident in his voice. “How did that happen?”

“Well, after you ditched me for Brad Davis, Betty had to sit next to me. We really hit off after that, and decided to start dating.”

“What the hell, man?” Peter asked, seeing Ned in a new light. “Isn’t that a little, I don’t know, fast?”

“Oh Peter,” Ned smiled sympathetically, like he was talking to an inexperienced toddler. “Sometimes, love chooses us, not the other way around.”

“…Yeah. All right, sure.”

When the thirty minutes passed, the group gathered and hit Venice with touristic excitement. They scattered after Mr. Harrington’s lecture about stranger danger, Ned and Betty leaving him behind before he could even interject.

He and MJ mostly just spent their time sightseeing, entering charming shops and eating great pasta. About halfway, Brad decided to tag along, much to his well hidden annoyance. MJ wasn’t so subtle.

“Why do you keep hanging around us anyway?” MJ asked, well mastered poker face in place.

“Why can’t I?” Brad countered, and they had a bit of a stare off until Peter couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hey, I’m gonna grab myself a drink, you guys want anything?” he asked, trying to derail the subject.

“I’ll come with you!” Brad smiled, already walking up but stopped when MJ stuck her arm between them.

“He’s old enough to go by himself,” she frowned, and his appreciation for her increased tenfold. Shooting her a thankful look, Peter ran off and searched for a store he could buy some drinks from. Turns out he’d been relying in his spidey senses too much, because he bumped right into a broad chest the day he noticed it had disappeared and fell with his ass on the ground. Great move, spider-man.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Peter apologized, scrambling up before he could embarrass himself any further.

“Don’t worry about it,” a weirdly familiar voice said, offering a large hand he gladly took.

“Thanks, I hope I didn’t-” Looking up, Peter was met with a shade of blue he remembered all too well.

“Mr. Beck?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, i really appericiate it! Some details do differ from the movie, because it would be super boring if i just copied the entire thing. That and my memory would mess that up real bad haha


	3. Chapter 3

“Have we met somewhere?” The man asked, but Peter was confident he was right. His beard got fuller and his body bulkier, but he’d recognize Mr. Beck any day. The handsome man still towered over him, much to his childish annoyance.

“I’m Peter Parker,” he said, feeling a little awkward. “From, uhm, Stark industries.” He immediately regretted mentioning the company the moment he saw the slight change in Mr. Becks features. It was obviously a sensitive subject, considering the circumstances under which he was let go and the months following.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I-” 

“Don’t be,” Mr. Beck smiled, much to his relief. “It’s been a long time.” Feeling a little uncomfortable under the man’s scrutinizing look, Peter quickly changed the subject.

“So, are you on vacation?”

“I actually came here on a business trip, but decided to take a few extra days for myself.” That explained the whole tourist vibe Mr. Beck had going on, with the blue shirt and beige shorts. In all honesty, Peter found the outfit as hideous as he found it endearing. “But enough about me, you’ve changed so much!”

He definitely wasn’t the only one. Looking closer, Mr. Beck got _ripped._ He’d buried his crush for the man years ago when Tony forbid him from visiting any longer, but one look at his familiar blue eyes was enough to make his face heat up like he was fifteen again. 

“Yeah, I guess so…” Peter smiled, a little overwhelmed at seeing him again. It reminded him of Tony, and not in a good way. Peter loved his father to death, but was still furiously guilty about Mr. Beck’s treatment. “Mr. Beck, about what happened-”

“Call me Quentin, kid,” Mr. Beck encouraged him.

“Uhh, sure. About what happened, I’m really sorry. I should’ve done more.”

For a second, the look Mr. Beck shot him was unreadable, and Peter felt weirdly nervous. But it disappeared before he could really consider it, and got replaced with that charming, confident smile he remembered. It made him feel warmer, like he was back at Stark tower and everything was still fine.

“Listen Peter, it’s fine. You were just a kid, I moved on. I found my passion, and I’ve bettered my life,” Mr. Beck said, and placed his large hand on Peter’s shoulder. “I’m really glad to see you again though.”

Caught in the moment, Peter could only focus on that warm hand squeezing his shoulder, and had to physically shake himself back to sanity. “Y-yeah, me too. I hate to break it off now, but I should probably get going. I’m on a school trip, y’know, and my teachers would kill me if disappeared with all the things going on these days…”

“Ah, I got it,” Mr. Beck laughed, bringing his hand back at his side. Peter didn’t know if he should be relieved or disappointed. “We should meet up again, if you’re up for it. I mean, it can’t be a coincidence we met in Venice of all places.”

“All right. Yeah, that’d be awesome,” Peter decided. Maybe it really was fate he met Beck again, a way to set one of his fathers mistakes right. It was his chance to do something for Tony, no matter how small.

“Great. Let me see your phone for a second.” Giving his phone away, even for a second, was weirdly anxiety inducing. “Here you go.” The new contact simply read: ‘Beck’. He liked the sound of that.

“Thanks. See you later, then?” Peter asked, already walking back.

“Yeah, give me a call sometime soon,” Beck nodded, retreating to the opposite side of the city. Making sure not to bump into anyone this time, he found Brad and MJ by the camera shop, _still arguing._

“There you are, took you long enough,” MJ deadpanned, giving him a one over. “Where’s the drinks?”

“Drinks…? Oh damn, guess I forgot those,” Peter laughed awkwardly. Meeting Beck really threw him off his game, huh.

“Doesn’t matter, let’s go check out the street musicians together,” Brad proposed, grabbing Peter’s sleeve to pull him forward. Peter shot a helpless look at MJ before getting dragged off. She sighed in exasperation, but eventually tagged along.

* * *

Lying in the hotel bed at eleven AM, despite Ned’s loud snoring Peter’s mind was still occupied by Beck. Turning on his nightlight, he sat up and buried his face in his hands in an attempt to find peace among the internal chaos.

It was a shock meeting Beck again. Peter remembered Tony as his perfect father, and to him he truly was. But Beck was a smudge on Tony’s image, a reminder that even his dad, iron man, made mistakes. And the thought scared him, because if even Tony made mistakes, then how badly was he going to mess up?

He knew exactly what everyone thought. On one hand, he was Tony Stark’s son, teenage genius and possibly next CEO of Stark industries. On the other hand, he was spider-man, rumored to be the next iron man. It felt like both of Tony’s worlds were now shoved over to him, and he wasn’t ready to handle it. Where he used to beg his dad for more responsibility, now Peter dreaded it.

Visiting Beck had been his way of trying to do something by himself. He’d seen Beck at his lowest point, and found himself desperately wanting to help the man. Although he really didn’t do much, it was difficult for him at the time as well, watching a grown up collapse under all the pressure Peter knew he’d have to deal with as he got older. And now that he had his own weight pushing him down, Peter completely understood where Beck had came from. He just hoped he would be able to get up as successfully as Beck did, and make something off himself too.

Sniffing, he bend down and rummaged through his backpack in search of Edith. Considering the sunglasses, he eventually gave in and slipped them on. Taking a minute to blink the tears from his eyes, he moved on to the note with breathless nerves.

‘For the next Tony Stark,

I trust you

Ps. Say Edith -TS’

“…Edith?” he repeated, voice hushed. Immediately, the sunglasses jumped to life, lighting up with a blue sheen.

“Standby. Readying for biometric scan,” A female voice said, and before his eyes an image popped up with his own face on it. “Biometric scan accepted.”

“Hello?” he whispered, keeping his volume in check.

“Hello Peter. I am Edith, Tony Stark’s augmented reality security and defense system,” Edith spoke, voice monotone.

“So he made you for me?”

“No. But you have access to all of Tony’s protocols.”

“Cool,” he nodded, in absolute awe of the power he’d been given. Jesus, what was Tony thinking?

“Would you like to see what I can do?” Edith asked.

“Yeah,” he mumbled.

“Edith stands for; Even Dead I’m The Hero.”

“…Hah,” he smiled, closing his eyes and resting his head against the pillow softly. Only Tony would come up with something like that.

“Can I be of some assistance to you, Peter?” Edith asked, and Peter really considered it.

“Do you, uhm, think you can show me some pictures? Of me and Tony?”

“Understood,” Edith confirmed. A split second later, several images popped up, dating as far back as to their first meeting. Tony stood there, looking as bored as he looked tired in a crisp blue suit. And all the way in the back, you could see a skinny kid looking at Tony Stark in familiar childish awe. After about thirty minutes of looking through pictures and failing to hold back tears, he decided to grant himself peace and close the photos.

“Just kill me…” he mumbled, doing his best to keep it together.

“You, Peter Stark Parker?” Edith asked.

“Yeah me. I’m the one who should’ve gone,” Peter whispered, crumbling apart.

“Understood. Self-destruction mode activated.” Edith notified him, shaking him out of his pity party in a second.

“Uhhh, Edith, what?”

“Killing drone is on it’s way to the target.”

“The targ- I’m the target?!” he asked, voice loud enough to make Ned stir in his sleep. A little softer, he asked; “Did I just set a killing drone off on myself?”

“Yes, Peter. Would you like to send it back?” Edith asked, to his utmost relief.

“Yes! Send-” 

“Is everything okay in there?” A voice asked from outside the door, startling him so much he stumbled out the bed and enter wined his legs with the blanket, causing him to fall on the floor.

“Shit!” he hissed as the glasses slit across the floor. “Yeah, everything’s okay here!” Crawling over, he swept Edith off the floor and threw them back on his face.

“Conformation needed. Commencing strike,” Edith said.

“Oh my God,” he breathed out, whipping his head around just in time to see a white drone hovering outside the window, shooting a red laser right at his head. Ducking, what was positively a bullet lodged itself in the place Peter’s head had just been.

With some quick thinking, he rolled on the floor and settles himself in the corner, activating his web shooters and coating the drone in sticky web. When it was effectively immobilized, Peter shot forward, grabbed the thing and threw it out the window into the water. When he was sure all threats were gone, Peter slumped on the floor in exhaustion, adrenaline still rushing through his veins.

“What just happened?” A voice next to him asked.

“Jesus Ned you won’t believe what just- MJ?” Peter gasped, seeing the slim girl standing in the doorway with her hands covering her mouth.

“You- You’re-” MJ spluttered, usual perfect composure in disarray.

“I’m no one!” Peter squeaked, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling the door closed before anyone else could join in. “That was my science project!”

“You’re Spider-man,” MJ marveled, ignoring his ineffective cover up with confidence.

“Haha,” Peter huffed, feeling his soul leaving his body. He was so done for. “Why- Why would you think that?”

“I just saw you web up a drone. It’s kind of obvious,” MJ said, already back to her usual self. Why did Peter expect anything else from her?

“That’s not what it looks like-”

“Can you do the flip?” MJ asked, examining him closely. His ears burned.

“Not here,” he mumbled, then caught himself. “I mean, of course I can’t. At all.”

“Come on Peter,” MJ frowned. “I thought we were friends. And honestly? Your lying is a little insulting to my IQ.”

That shut him up. “…Are you gonna tell anyone?”

“Who do you think I am? I’m not telling anyone, you dork,” MJ smiled, and Peter immediately felt the weight lifting from his shoulders. “Does anyone else know?”

“Ned knows,” Peter said, glancing over to where Ned laid. Jeez, how was he still asleep after all that? “He’s kind of my guy in the chair.”

“Cool,” MJ nodded, moving over to sit next to him on the bed. “Now start explaining.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

* * *

Waking up, Peter decided Edith was going to need a little more caution when handled. And by caution, he meant he was going to avoid touching the damn thing at all costs. He couldn’t, for the love of God, understand why in the world Tony entrusted him with this. He almost killed himself with that thing, and even worse, Ned or MJ could’ve been seriously hurt.

“What’s up Penis Parker,” Flash yawned, sitting at opposite ends at the breakfast table. Ignoring the small boy, Peter choose to focus on his more pressing problems for now. If last night hadn’t been a crazy, exhaustion induced nightmare, then MJ knew about his secret identity. He could vaguely imagine Tony berating him like old times, when he blurted to Ned. But she didn’t show any sign of caring, instead biting into her peanut butter toast while doodling next to him.

“Man, I slept so good last night,” Ned said, pouring himself a cup of hot chocolate. “Do you think it’s because of the European air?”

“Babe! That’s what I was thinking,” Betty giggled, causing him to release some of the tension he’d been holding onto. He could trust MJ, he was sure of it.

“Good morning class!” Mr. Harrington called brightly, already dressed and ready to explore. “I hope you’re ready for today, because we have quite a few things planned! We’re going to a museum at ten, and you’ll be free to roam from eleven till twelve. Then we met at the hotel, pack our stuff and head out to Paris.”

Finishing off their breakfast, they headed off to the museum. He’d made various attempts to talk some more to MJ during the exhibition, but his plans were foiled because of Brad’s constant clinging. And honestly, at was really starting to get on his nerves. When they were finally allowed free reign, he approached MJ as she stared intently at the rippling water. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut It again when he noticed the water literally getting drained from the sewers.

Now, call it space battling paranoia, but Peter didn’t need his Peter tingle to know something was up. And he was right. Humongous spirals of water rose up from the canals, all coming together to form an even larger water monster. First dragging MJ away and shoving her in the arms of Brad, he went on and ran towards the gondola to pull Ned and Betty to safety.

“You gotta do something man!” Ned shrieked as he clung to Peter for dear life.

“I left my Spider-man suit at home,” he said, panicking.

“Why would you do that?!”

“Come on man, I’m on vacation!” Watching the solidified water raising a giant fist, Peter pushed Ned towards Betty before the monster could slam it down. “Get to safety!”

Water flooded the streets of Venice, destroying multiple boats and buildings in the process. He just couldn’t catch a break, could he?

“Oh no you don’t!” Peter growled when he saw the water monster clearly focusing on the escaping people on top of the bridge. Using the poles as a makeshift passageway, he jumped until he reached a giant row, launching himself upwards to land on the bridge. Amongst the screaming, he quickly picked up a few fallen civilians and sent them on their way. Before he could escape himself, a giant wave of water washed over him, causing him to slam into the stone structure harshly with a grunt.

Gasping for air, Peter really thought he was done for until a flash of green appeared on the sky, fast approaching to reveal the image of what appeared to be a suited up guy with a… fish bowl helmet? The new guy summoned green mist and effectively held back the water creature while Peter grabbed a festive, purple mask. Watching the man get slammed down made him gasp in worry, only to sigh in relief as he got back up again.

“Excuse me sir! I feel like I can help, let me help!” he shouted, climbing up on the remains of a wet, fallen building. “I’m really strong, and I’m.. sticky!”

“I need you to lead it away from the canals!” Fish bowl guy answered, turning his attention back on the threat in front of them and speeding away. Using his superhuman flips, Peter jumped up nimbly and followed them as best as he could, swinging along the rooftops with practiced ease and attempting to peace some of the buildings back together.

Then, he noticed the bell tower crumbling. Swinging up, he swirled around the tower to web the broken part together, jumping upwards when he finished. Fish bowl guy came in sight again, flying through the air in a puff of smoke and dodging a cleave of water that ended up hitting the tower instead.

Stumbling forward because of the shaking, he slung his webs and connected them in a useless attempt to keep the tower steady only to be thrown forwards, right into the steel bell. He hit the historical artifact with a resounding clang, and fell straight on his back with a pained groan.

He thought he was safe for a second, but then got launched forwards by his webs and hit the bell a second, even more painful time. Ignoring the pounding in his head, Peter got back up and steadied himself against the stone structure with one foot, using all of his strength to hold it up.

White hot pain ripped through him as the tower fell anyway, his webs shooting out of his hands uselessly. He laid on his back, paralyzed by pain, but couldn’t help but smile as he heard the victorious clapping and shouting. Spitting some water out, he attempted to roll on his stomach only to be swiftly picked up by a pair of strong, large hands.

“Let me get you to safety,” a strangely familiar voice said, and before he could begin to protest the man new hero lifted him up and flew him away from the damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help, i've been watching Jake Gyllenhaal interviews non-stop for an entire week now.  
> I'd love to hear your thoughts, every single comment is so incredibly appericiated! Thanks for reading


	4. Chapter 4

Not too far from the wreckage, the mysterious man set him down near a deserted river bank. It took remarkably longer to get there than if Peter had just swung his way around, but if the pounding in his head were anything to go by, he probably wouldn’t be able to pull anything fancy for another few hours.

“Uhh, thanks,” Peter mumbled, awkwardly shrugging himself free. He looked up in expectation hoping the man would introduce himself, maybe explain a thing or two, but was only met with silence. Despite not being able to see a face behind that gleaming helmet, Peter felt the intense stare eyeing his every moment with startling focus.

“Are you okay, man?” Peter asked, a little weirded out. Yet again, no answer came. Growing concerned, he lifted his hand and gently shook the taller man’s shoulder. This seemed to snap him out of whatever stupor he’d been in, his shoulder flinching back like Peter shot him there.

“…Yes, I’m fine,” the man mumbled, voice higher than he’d imagined. “What were you doing there?”

“Me?” Peter wasn’t quite sure what was happening. “Who are you?”

They had what Peter assumed was a bit off a stare off, before the man let out a deep sigh and raised his hands up to his bowl helmet. Watching that familiar face come into view, Peter muffled a surprised gasp and stumbled back.

“What the- Beck?!”

“Take a seat kid,” Beck said, sitting down on a rock and patting the open spot next to him. Hesitantly, Peter complied, if only because of how utterly _exhausted_ the man looked.

“What’s going on?” Peter asked breathlessly, a desperate attempt to make something of the chaos that was his mind right then.

“… You ever thought about what it would be like if there were multiple realities?” Beck asked, and if Peter wasn’t invested before, well he certainly was now.

“Do you mean a multiverse?” he asked, almost afraid to say it aloud because of how otherworldly strange the mere thought was.

“The snap,” Beck started, shooting Peter a pitying look, “tore a hole in our dimension. This dimension is earth 616 Quentin Beck is from earth 833.”

“I’m sorry,” Peter cut him off, swiping a hand through his curls in distress. “Are you serious? Because If that were true, theoretically, that completely changes how we understand the initial singularity. I mean, we’re talking about an internal inflation system and how does that even work with all the quantum- It’s insane!” Peter laughed, a quiet sound, but shut down when he saw Beck’s eyes widen almost comically.

“S-sorry, it’s just really cool…”

“Oh Peter,” Beck smiled, the sight making Peter’s heart jump ever so slightly. “Don’t ever apologize for being the smartest in the room. Or, well, riverbank.” And wow, _that was new._ The only person not brushing off Peter’s ramblings had been Tony, so that gentle smile was a definitive change from his usual treatment.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, regaining his grip on reality more every second. “But what does all of this have to do with you?”

Beck looked at him with such an honest, sincere expression Peter thought he was back in Beck’s old house, cooking crappy food for the older man.

“Earth 833 is near identical to ours. They have the same physical similarities, logic and even people. But there, it wasn’t Thanos causing havoc. It was creatures they call ‘the elemental beasts’, like the one we fought against just now. Those beasts wiped out their entire earth, and then traveled over to this dimension through the tear. And that’s where the other Quentin Beck came in,” Beck explained.

“You don’t mean…”

“Yes, that Quentin Beck was the sole survivor and the last with any knowledge or capability to stop them. He followed them here, but it took such a toll on his body he passed away not long after,” Beck said, and the look on his face told Peter he actually believed every part of what he was saying.

“Look man, this all sounds a bit crazy,” peter awkwardly laughed, although there was no real humor behind it. 

“I know exactly how ludicrous I sound Peter, but please just hear me out,” Beck said, eyes pleading. “You should have imagined my surprise when I got kidnapped by Nick Fury of all people. When I got there, the other me was on his death bed. Right before he passed away, he said I was this worlds only hope and begged me to take complete his last wish.”

“That’s…” Peter trailed off, unsure of what to say to all of this.

“Yeah. To be completely honest, a part of me wanted to refuse and get back to the life I knew. But looking at myself literally dying in front of me, I knew I was already part of something bigger than I could have ever imagined,” Beck said, eyes glazing over with what Peter could only identify as amazement.

“But I didn’t know you had any special abilities?” Peter wondered.

“I didn’t. But the other Beck did, and he transferred them to me. He said it was a power all of the soldiers on his planet had, each and every one slightly unique to its owner. He entrusted me with it, because I was the only one he knew wouldn’t ever give up.”

“Look Beck, I don’t mean to be rude but this is all kinda hard to believe…” Peter said, uncomfortably wringing his hands together.

“I understand. But if you need any proof, I can just show you.”

“Show me?” Peter asked, head cocking to the left. Before he could say anything else, Beck stretched out his arm and opened his palm up towards the sky. Suddenly, green mist surged around his fingers, circling his forearm. Peter watched in amazement as the mist formed four creatures, one of them being a miniaturized version of the water monster they had fought today.

“That’s awesome,” Peter squeaked out in wonder, struggling not to reach out and poke the images.

With a flick of his hand, the shapes shifted until it formed a finely detailed green Nick fury, usual scowl ever present on his face. More images were created, until the green mist played the scene Beck just described out perfectly.

“I know it’s not much, but I honestly gain nothing from lying to you,” Beck said, erasing the mist with another curl of his hand.

“But why are you telling me this?” Peter asked.

“I saw you fight at the tower. That was beyond the capabilities of a normal person. In fact, it was very similar to a familiar hero,” Beck explained carefully, managing to sound rather casual despite having deduced Peter’s secret identity already.

Feeling his ears grow read, Peter choose to focus on a stray pebble rather than face the dilemma he was finding himself in.

“You recognized me…”

“Of course I did. I’ve known you longer than today, there’s no way I wouldn’t recognize you,” Beck remarked, placing his hand on Peter’s shoulder to regain his full attention. It worked. “Look Peter, I’m not accusing you of anything. This is honestly a shock for me too. I just called out to you because I know for a fact Nick Fury is going to be visiting you anytime now, and I wanted to come clean to you first out of respect for our shared history.”

Peter internally groaned at this. He was not up for a meeting with Nick Fury, especially not now that there was another avengers level threat looming.

“But why do they need me if you’re here?” Peter asked, but immediately felt ashamed when he saw the slightly scolding look he received in return.

“This isn’t just a villain on the wrong path of life, kid. An entire planet got wiped out for this. Another version of me literally lost his family and home fighting them. I’m gonna need all the help I can get,” Beck choked out, and for the first time during their conversation Peter realized they maybe beck was just as terrified as he felt.

“You could have refused. You had a right to, so why didn’t you?” Peter questioned, maybe more for himself than for Beck.

But Beck shot him a look that spoke of a maturity Peter could only crave, and smiled pleasantly.

“I think you already know, Peter. With great power, comes great responsibility,” Beck said, and for a moment or two the world froze.

_Uncle Ben,_ Peter thought, _Is this your way of saying I need to step up?_

Beck seemed to bask in the light of the sun, illuminating his face to the point Peter could see every shade of blue and green swirling around in his eyes. He was radiant, a dazzling reflection of all his loss. And he realized, maybe coincidence isn’t that coincidental after all. Maybe, just maybe, this was fate.

“Yes,” Peter croaked, unconsciously leaning slightly forward, “I’ll help you.”

“Really?” Beck urged, and his smile was so disarming, peter felt downright _charmed._

“Y-yeah, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you Peter,” Beck nodded, Peter unconsciously perking up at the praise, “I knew I could always count on you.”

And suddenly, Peter felt the irrational urge to close the gap between them. Why, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t left any time to ponder on this new emotion when he became startingly aware of the harsh buzzing in his pocket.

“Oh my God,” he mumbled, panic rising up high when he noticed the dozen phone calls littering his lock screen.

“What’s going on?” Beck asked, muscles tensing. “Is there anything wrong?”

“What?” Peter frowned, then realized Beck was on high altert because he probably thought Peter’s concerns were a lot more pressing than in reality. “Oh no, don’t worry! I just need to get back to my class immediately… We were supposed to board our plane to Paris.”

“Oh,” Beck sighed, relief seeping through. “Then I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I suspect Nick Fury wasn’t going to let you take that flight anyway, considering he’s here in Venice and urgently has to talk to you.”

“He’s here?!” Peter asked, boosts of adrenaline coursing through his body like a shot of lightning.

_Oh no_

“Yeah. On that note, I should get moving too. Need a lift back?” Beck offered, but Peter shook his head before he could even consider it.

“Nah, I don’t want people seeing I’m being flown around by a superhero with a purple cape,” he jeered, earning him a deep chuckle from the older man. “I’ll just run.”

“Got it,” Beck laughed, the tug on his lips triggering a feeling Peter was sure Tony would disapprove of. “See you later than, Peter.”

And just like that, Peter watched Quentin Beck literally swoop off in the air and fly away. Despite going to Goddamn space, some sights never ceased to amaze him. Getting a solid grip on reality again, Peter jogged off to the damaged streets of Venice.

He didn’t have to look long before he heard a relieved cry rang so loud through the air Peter had a flash-back to when Tony’s cake experiment caught fire. The memory made him warm inside , but faltered when he remembered it was never going to happen again.

“Peter! He’s here- Peter!” Mr. Harrington screeched, clumsily jogging while simultaneously waving his arms around Like Peter hadn’t heard him, which was frankly impossible. Behind him, the rest of the class struggled to keep up, MJ at the front silently judging.

“Where were you?” Brad asked, looking him up and down for any external injuries.

“Sorry guys,” Peter replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “I think I got knocked out by stray rubble or something.”

“Really?” Betty asked, sassily placing her hand on her hip.

“Yes, really,” he frowned, glaring a little.

“It’s true, I saw him get hit,” MJ remarked dryly, and _thank God for that._

“We’ll get you checked up back at the hotel, let’s go,” Mr. Harrington mumbled, grasping his shoulders and gently guiding him along.

“I thought we had a flight to catch?” Peter asked, worry pooling low in his stomach.

“Oh, there’s been some disturbance at the airport because of all this crazy stuff happening. Don’t worry, we’ll leave first thing tomorrow!” Ned cheered, but Peter didn’t miss the worried look his best friend shot him.

And then he realized, _Holy Hell, Nick Fury really is hijacking his vacation._

_And he told Beck he was fine with it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are what keeps an author going! :)  
> Edit: so Some people are a little confused whether or not Beck is speaking the truth or not; he’s lying, it’s not true. Hope that cleared it up


	5. Chapter 5

“Get a move on people! I have to meet Nick Fury in an hour,” Beck sighed, going over William’s status reports. So far so good, everything seemed to go as planned. In fact, it went so perfectly it was suspicious. He couldn’t believe the infamous Nick Fury was so casually convinced.

“I had Janice adjust the gloves so you have a batter grasp whenever you’re touching someone,” Victoria smiled sweetly, standing next to his desk with a nervous expression. Normally, he would have appreciated her careful way of addressing things, but today it only worked to get on his nerves.

“What are you really here for?” he asked, getting up from his chair to straighten his back.

“O-oh, I just…” She physically shrunk back when he leveled his eyes with hers, easily intimidated as always. A little pathetic, if you’d ask him, but it also made her easy to see through. “It’s about the changes in the plan…”

Narrowing his eyes, he considered her in the light filtered through his office windows. “You can tell me,” he smiled carefully.

“It’s about spider-man,” she started, letting go of a sigh of relief when she realized he wasn’t in a bad mood. Not that she saw, anyway. “I thought we were supposed to let Nick Fury approach him first. Doesn’t this mess up a lot of key details?”

“I already told you, he would recognize my face the moment he saw me. We worked together, remember? I needed to secure he wouldn’t expose my identity and ruin everything.”

“Yes, I know. It’s just… you get so different around Peter. You seem distracted.”

He hated the way she said Peter’s name, rolling the r like she owned it.

“Don’t worry Victoria,” Beck reassured her, settling his hand on her narrow shoulders. He didn’t miss the way her dark eyes melted when looking up at him. “We’ve got everything under control. You trust me, right?”

She nodded, and he only retracted his hand when she subconsciously started to lean into his grip. “Of course I do. We’re all counting on you.”

“Great!” he grinned, walking around her to exit his office. He had no patience for his team’s hesitance. Meeting Peter earlier left him anxious, especially since he had to let the boy go so soon. But he had waited years for this, he could wait a little longer if It meant getting the thing he had always desired.

And this time, daddy wasn’t here to stop him.

“Guterman!” he called, entering the lower floor where the rest of the team was busy perfecting the next hologram. “Come over here for a second, if you would.”

Almost immediately, the pale man appeared in sight, desperate to please. “Can I help you, Quentin?”

“Can we go over the script one more time? I can’t afford to make any mistakes today, especially not with the kid there. He’s smart enough to notice them.”

“Yes, no problem.” The man searched his bag for a minute until he fished out the file he’d been looking for labeled ‘elemental beasts’. He skimmed over the script, his lines weren’t too difficult to remember. They’d made sure of that.

The story itself was absolutely ludicrous, and honestly, wouldn’t have worked in a million years if people didn’t want just that. A story.

“Seriously Quentin, your acting is something else,” Guterman laughed nervously, fidgeting with the papers in his hand. “You had everyone fooled.”

“It’s all thanks to all of you,” Beck lied, raising his voice to make sure everyone heard him. “Without this team, I would be nothing.”

“Don’t put yourself down,” William interjected gently, and Beck couldn’t get over the fact at how _easy_ It all was. His crew, a group made out of people desperate for recognition, were so damn simple. But William was by far the worst, jumping around like a dog on a leash at the mere hint of praise.

“I’m just stating the truth, William,” Beck said, making sure to sound just sympathetic enough to be believable. “You are all why I’m doing this. It’s time you all got the recognition you deserve, and I’m going to make sure you get it.” He may have been overdoing it a little, but loyalty was a necessary cog in his machine if he wanted this operation to run smoothly.

Everyone cheered in response, the mood lighting up considerably. “To justice!” Beck cheered, making eye contact with everyone across the room. They responded double so loudly, all of them foolishly murmuring words of praise to the head of their entire plan, unaware of the lies spun with every word Beck uttered.

There was only one spot open for a new hero, after all, and he found it hard to believe they would stay content after he made his debut into the world without getting more in return.

* * *

“And that… is Mr. Beck,” Nick Fury’s deep voice rang through the poorly lit basement, signaling his and Peter’s arrival. On cue, Beck turned around, his purple cape fluttering in the draft with every movement.

Seeing Peter standing in arms reach made his heart squeeze in a way it never pinched for anyone else. The boy was there, breathing, and so _alive._

Just like he’d thought, the holograms he previously created were nothing compared to the real deal.

“I know,” Peter squeaked, looking like a nervous mess, with his curls all mussed and his cheeks flushed. Perfectly adorable, if you’d ask him. “We’ve met before.”

This took Fury by obvious surprise, something Beck delighted in seeing. “You’re telling me you failed to recognize him by face when I showed you his picture?” Fury glared, as always annoyed when he wasn’t aware of everything and everyone constantly.

“It’s complicated,” Beck shrugged, shooting Peter a look of comradery that made the younger boy giggle. “I already explained what happened to the other Beck after the battle earlier today, so no need for explaining.”

“Do you realize how grave this situation is, Mr. Beck?” Fury frowned, crossing his arms threateningly.

“Of course I do, which Is why I spoke to Peter about it. I trust him, and he’s going to have to trust us if we want him to help,” Beck glanced over at Peter, “which he’ll do, right?”

“I-I’ll do it!” Peter nodded, determination lighting his features up wonderfully.

Fury looked like he had _a lot_ more to say about Beck’s meddling, but luckily Maria Hill decided to put an end to the tense atmosphere.

“That makes it easier, then,” she decided, her usual easy confidence making for an intriguing combination with her natural charms. “We don’t have all day, let’s start.”

“The next and last elemental,” Fury grumbled in that voice that was so own to him, still bitter, “is made out of fire. We need you two to work together as a team and stop it. Clear?”

“Wait, is the fourth elemental also here?” Peter asked, “Cause that would be crazy.”

Before Fury could snap at him, Beck smiled gently in his direction. “I’m afraid not. We’ve managed to track down it’s signals, and it’s going to appear in Prague.”

“Then how am I gonna fight it?”

“Well,” Beck glanced over at Fury, “I’m sure that will be arranged.”

“Changing the course of your vacation is easy. All you have to do is do what you do best; be a hero,” Maria Hill said.

“Are… are you guys sure you want me? I mean, I’m just a friendly neighborhood spider-man!” Peter bit his lip in anxiety, and Beck felt a sudden need to comfort. “There have to be better people suited for this.”

In truth, Beck agreed. Although he loathed to admit it, the power Tony Stark possessed was nothing short of genius. He didn’t like the man, but the engineer in him could respect that.

Peter however, wasn’t ready. He was, frankly, not mature enough to handle Edith. Beck knew this, and that was why he had to _do something for God’s sake._ Because if Peter, in all his innocent youth, wasn’t ready to take care of himself, Beck was obligated to take care of everything for him.

For now though, he’d see how Peter could handle himself. If Beck deemed him capable, although the chance seemed slim, maybe they could work something out. But that all depended on Peter.

He barely registered Fury’s rambling about fake threats, trips and suits.

“Mr. Beck, are you ready for tomorrow?” Nick Fury asked, ever present frown only deepening at Beck’s forlorn expression as he watched Peter leave.

“Yes,” Beck mused, “I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally get red in the face watching jake Gyllenhaal? 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Sorry this one is kinda short even though it's been so long


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